Flow control means and method



Nov. 29, 1949 A, ROSENBLUM 2,489,542

FLOW CONTROL MEANS AND METHOD Filed July 26, 1946 fig! 1 i gz 4/ ,Z "'MARWW/ IE 5 V, \{IIIQAQI %L INVENTOR. WE BY ROBERT A. ROSE/mm M/ aw 7; ATTYS.

Patented Nov. 29, 1949 l I. eiiqmethpd .Y .wa"-'defoi'm'ableresillent ri equalizing pressure pt as fluid matioall yiiiaintnifi th from' the v regardless-oithe I pljlinei *fThe' piesent'mv'ei tio lends itself readily to t i fi t l i qd s' hil h; w enrinq s e o c d wiwe 'fs wrms s, 0 icipalitiesthroughap large part of thecountry and iii-Which: fir u s ihi fleril u ed. a m r or- ;constant' pressure; and which supply, pres: sures vary through a}widelrange.- jMany expensive and intricate pressur 9" elfw 'k r Q nnd sed-i such r u ts-i I w v r; the! pres n inv x bi i w be uilt in-'such "products at the factory and will "auto-g maticallyv function satisfactorily and veijilciently anywhere" to maintain the usefuhputlet pressure; of the, water lat the esired value; regardless; of; the":yinflations of wide ang e oi rpressures experihe nm m Ps'. a wa er su p ies fjw l el hel d s .n embenimwmcn the deformation of the ring is proporii onalL-to the inlet orsupply pressure of -v,-According toptheiprinciples of the present invention a deformable rubber valve ring member is-looselyirsupported adjacent a valve seat with oneeof itsflattfaces against the seat and the other of; its flat faces directly exposed to pressure of a fluid stream from a supply line, with the valve membersat'right angles to the direction of flow from theesupply linen The stream from the supply line strikes the ring and some passes through the orifice in the ring.- The orifice being restricted,ethe;.supply line pressure will urge the ring member against the'seat and deform or compress therring in its central portion. Such deformationvorrcompresslon will reduce the crosssectional area of the 'ring orifice, thus reducing thepressure of the fluidissuing'from such orifice.

3 Whemthe supply pressureis high the ring valve 'member will vbe ."depressedto a greater extent,

such deformation tending to change the cylindrical,,shape,vof;the. ring and force parts of it into spacesof the seat valve member.

The above, other and further objects of'the presentinvention will be apparent from the followin rdescription and accompanying drawing.

The 'accompan-yingdrawing illustrates embodiments of.;'the;=pre'sent invention and the views thereo frare as follows: "j

:Figure =1: is a= centrals'sectio'nal view through the headgofabubbler fountainshowing the flow control of lthe'presentlnvention, the parts appearing in; their..-.positions when there is no liquid flow EFigureeZis a-vlew-partially in central section and Partially-in elevation, of a housing equipped with g-th eiirpresent invention and which may be I connectedfim a: bubbler fountain.

11;: Figure 3 is a horizontalsectional view taken in.,-the plane of line III-HI oi Figure 2.

Figuresniais'afcentralsectional view through a valve ichamberi equippedwith the flow control of --the:?present= invention and showing deformation of-: :'thev:ring valvemember as influenced by,

the pressurez ofith'eifluidsupply, to bend the ring valve memberr to restrict'the cross-sectional area of the-orifice through'it'for reducing the of fluid issuing irom the valve member.

FigurexSiisfi view similar to Figure 4 showing greater deformation of the ring valve member to I restrict the -;valve member orlflce'to a greater extent. and.tovdisplace portions of the valve mem ber intozithe seat member recesses.

t Figure Gfisa'rpIan-vlew of the valve seat; and

pressure Figure 7 is a plan view of a flat surface of the ring valve member which is the surface exposed to inlet pressure from the fluid supply main.

On the drawings:

Referring to Figure 1, l designates the head of a bubbler fountain, which head includes a bowl II. The head It is provided with a threaded neck i2 whereby the head may be secured in a fountain. The neck I2 is bored at I! in which bore an inlet pipe II is connected to supply water to the head from the municipal main. The head I0 is provided with a second bore II axially aligned with the bore l3 but of smaller diameter. The head is formed with a valve seat ll at the junction of the bores l3 and IS with which seat.

a shut-off valve l1 cooperates to control the entry of city water to the bore IS. The valve l I is counterbored to receive a packing washer It to engage the seat It in leak-tight relationship when the valve is closed. The valve is held in closed position by means of a compression spring I9, one end of which bears against the valve l1 and the other end of which is suitably supported in the neck [2.

The head I0 has another bore 20 formed in it at right, angles to the bore l5 forming a valve chamber.

The head I0 is formed with a counterbore 2| communicating with the lower end of the bore 20, the diameter of the counterbore being slightly less than the diameter of the bore 20 to form a ledge 13 at the junctions of the bores.

The head I0 is provided with a port 22 affording communication between the bore 15 and the bore 20. It will be noted that the port 22 lies in the axis of the bore in th bottom of the valve chamber.

Within the .bore 2|! are the valve seat member A and the ring valve member B of the present invention.

The ring valve member B is formed as a cylindricalring of elastic material, such as rubber, rubber composition, plastic material such as neoprene, or the like, with its opposite faces parallel under normal conditions, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The ring valve member B has an orifice 23 through it arranged in the axis of the ring, the entrance end of which orifice is enlarged as by a countersunk portion 24 while the exit end of the orifice is slightly enlarged as at 25. It will be noted that, in Figure l, the ring valve member 13 lies within the counterbore 2| with it's axial dimensions less than the depth of said counterbore. The'ring member B is loosely mounted in the counterbore.

The seat valve member A is formed with the end thereof which'constitutes the valve seat with two concentric rings 26 and 21 (Figure 6) which are radially spaced apart as may be noted. Midway of the height of the seat valve member A is a cross-bore 28 opening through the seat member. Axially of the valve seat member is an outlet or duct 29 opening an enlargement, such as a countersink 30, at the entrance end of the duct, as may be observed in Figures 1 and 6. The outlet or duct 29 affords communication for flow member A is provided with an annular groove 34 which receives a packing ring 35 to make a leak-tight joint between the valve seat member A and the bore 20. The valve seat member A rests on the ledge I3 when installed in the bore 20.

The head ll of the fountain is formed with an upwardly inclined bore 38 terminating in a bubbler head 31 of conventional form. The bore 36, it will be observed, is in flow communication with the cross bore 2| in the valve seat member A, so that, whenever the shut-off valve I1 is opened, water will issue from the head 21 for drinking purposes, the excess water draining through an opening 38 in the bottom of the bowl I I and through a sewer connection 39, not shown, as it is well known.

The valve seat member A is provided with a bleeder or by-pass opening l0 which is parallel to the outlet duct 29 of the valve seat member and which extends through the valve seat member from the bottom of the space between the concentric rings 26 and 21 and the cross bore 28.

Movable within the bore I5 is a plunger ll at one end engageable with the shut-off valve l1 and at the other end is provided with a handle 42 whereby the plunger may be moved' by hand pressure to open the shut-off valve l1, that is to say, by moving the plunger to the left as viewed in Figure 1. The spring I! acts normally to maintain the shut-ofl valve I'I closed against its seat l6, and the handle l2 projected as shown in Figure 1.

The operation of the flow control of the present invention as associated with a bubble fountain of the type shown in Figure l is as follows:-

The pipe I4 is connected to the city water supply to admit water to the head I. when the shut-off valve I1 is opened, that is, moved away from its seat I, whereupon water under city pressure enters the valve chamber through the port 22 discharging against the ring valve member B with the major force of discharge in the countersunk entrance 24. Where such pressure is high, it will bow or bend the ring valve member, about the inner margin of the inner seat ring 21, forcing the central portion thereof into the countersunk entrance 3|! of the valve seat member, somewhat in the manner illustrated in Figure 4. The compression or deformation of the rin valve member, in the manner stated, will restrict the cross-sectional area of the ring orifice 23 thus reducing pressure of water issuing from said orifice and into the outlet duct 23 of the valve seat member.

Where such deformation is insumcient to bend the valve seat member so that its peripheral portion is still in contact with the wall of the counterbore 2!, all passage of water from the inlet port 22 to the cross bore 28 and out through the head 31 of the bubbler. fountain willbe through the orifice 22 of the ring valve mem ber 13. However, the pressure of the water issuing from such ring valve member will be reduced below that pressure present in the water supply from the pipe I. Should the water pressure be high, it will then deform the ring valve member B to a greater extent, such as that shown in Figure 5, reducing the cross-sectional area of the orifice 22 01 the'ring valve member greatly. and forcing part of the ring member into the space between the seat rings 26 and 21.

bore 20 to secure the valve seat member A in h That portion of the structure capable of con valve member B is sometimes herein referred to as the plenum or pressure head chamber.

The ring valve member B is so constructed'as" to control the entry of high pressure water into occurs when hand pressure is removed from-the handle 42,1the spring i9 wi11- move the' valve "I1 against the seat I6and'return theplung'er 4| to its normal ,inoperativeposition which is fthat .shown in Figure 1. Such closing of the shut off valve cutsoif water admission to the v'alve'chaml -1 Any water remaining the plenum or pressure head chamber will-stay until thefo'untain is operated the next time. Whenever water i I has accumulated in the bowl it during thedrinking process, it escapes through :the drair'r 38 to thesewer. The pipes are "so "constructed that none of the drain water enters the supply'to contam a eitr I -zvIt will benoted that the ring valve member B is disposed with its axis in, the axis oftheinlet port 22, or, in other words, with .its face adjacent such port at right angles to the direction of water entry into the valve chamber- Referring to Figure 2, there is shown a housing H comprising two separable partsa first/part 43, and a second part 44. 2 I

The first part 43 is formed with two counteras follows:

bores 45 and 46 of different diameters, the I counterbore 46 having the greater diameter. I The part43 is provided with athreadedaperture 41. A hollow member 48 is provided with a hollow threaded neck 49 which is threaded intokthe openin 41 in the part 43 to secure the member 48 in place. 7 The upper end of the member-.48-is counterbored to receive a gasket 50 to seal'the joint between the member, and-the part 43 to prevent fluid escape. The :lower portion' of the number 48 is provided with a skirt 5| of greater diameter than the balance of the member 48, the diameter of the skirt .5l being'greater than the diameter of the smaller counterbore ,45. :The

skirt is counterbored at 52. The hollow member 46 is formed with a fluid passageway, a: portion a 53 of which is cylindricaland a portion 54 of which is divergent from the cylindricalportion 63 to the counterbore 52. The interior of the larger counterbore 46 is. threaded. H a Y member through which fluid may flow from below ,the valve seat member upwardly to the outlet 69.

The second part 44 of the housing H is made inthe form of a can with, its flange interiorly threaded. to threadedly, engage the exterior of I thevalve seat member 55 to assemble the parts operative relation. 1 When the second part 44 is applied to the valve seat'member 55, a gasket 16Tisfinterposed between the adjacent margins of .fjthe parts 43 and 44' oclose the joint therebetween 'and seal itagainst-fluid escape. 7 Communicating withsthe bore 68 in theflrst r part 43 of. thehousing througha pflrt Illisalater'allly plQjectihg outlet pipe 68, a

Suitably attached to the housingH is an inlet pipe H for connection to a fluid supply to furnish fluid to the interior of the housing H. a

Therhousin rH is shown as ';welded to a plate 12 "for supporting the housing in position in a structure. Q I f V :2" g

Operationoftheform of the invention shown in Figure .2, as used with a bubbler fountain, is

Afshutoif 'valve (not shown) is interposed in the'pipe 1|. When this shut-off valve is opened, water from the supply line enters the hollow member ,48 at supply line pressure and against the ring valve member B. As in the case of the disclosure of Figure 1, if the incoming pressure is high, it will deform the ring valve member B to force a portion thereof into the countersunk entrance 62 of the cylindrical passage 6| through the valve seat member 55 restricting the cross- 1 sectional area of the orifice 23 in the ring valve valve member B will eventually fill the housing,

below "the valve seat -member, up through the openings 65 and 66 and the space between the hollow member 48 and the counterbore and overflow throughthe port -16 into the pipe 63 tothebubbler head. This will continue as long as the sh t-oil valve is open. -When the shut= A valve. seat member. has aitsyexterior threaded to engage the threads in the larger counterbore 46. The valveseatmember itself is counterbored at 56 to receive the skirt 5| of thehollow member 48. Within the counterbore 52 of the skirt 5l'is aring valve member 3.

The valve seat member 55 is provided withltwof concentric'rings 51. and 58, as seats for thering valve member B- off .valve is closed, the water in the housing will occupy the space therein up to the duct 10, the space so occupied constituting a plenum or pressure headchamber, I I

Next time when the shut-off valve is opened,

the waterin the plenum or pressure head chamber will bedischargedin a, smooth, even stream and at lowpressure. i

It will be noted that the flowcontrol of the present invention adjusts itselfreadily to what- The valve seat is bottom upwardly asat 59" which boremerges with a convergent countersunk portionjll which, in turn, communicateswith a cylindricalpassage 6| which terminates in a countersunk-entrance 62 The bore ,59 has cut-out portions v 63. The

valve seat member 55 is provided with. a, bleeder or by-pass64which' opensfinto the s paces b etween the'rings'5'l and 58 at its upper end and.

opens through the lower end of the valve-seat member, 55.

The valve seat member; .55 is provided with openings, two'of whicharefshown at and66, extending from the bottom to the top. of the.

ever inlet pressure there is, the amount of deformation or compression of the ring valve member being proportional to the pressure of. the inlet stream,-that is to say, the higher the inlet pressure, the more deformation and great r restric-' tion in the crossesectional area of the ring orificeL The bypasses orbleeders 48 'and- 6| enable escape of air that may be present in a valve-chamber. I

It will, of course, be understood that various details ofcconstruction may'be-varied through a widerangewithoutdeparting from the" principles 5 of this invention and it-is,therefore',-not the pur-- i pose to limit the:patent'granted'hereon "other .-wisethannecessitatedby the scope of the appended claims. 1

I'claim as my invention: 1.5,In a pressure. control apparatus,

valve seat member'in said'chamber with its'seat means providing a cylindrical valvechamber-h'aving a botv tom,- said ibottomhavlng an inlet through-it, a s

aceaua surface axially spaced from said bottom, a normally cylindrical deformable and resilient valve ring member loosely contained in said chamber between said bottom and said seat member and having an orifice through it, said seat member having an axially disposed outlet through it and having the end of said outlet adjacent said ring valve member enlarged as a countersink, said seat member having a bleeder passage through it oifset from its center, said ring valve member having the mouth of its oriflce countersunk and in register with the inlet to localize the pressure of the inlet stream axially of the ring to thereby compress the ring against the seat member outlet and into the countersunk end of the same to bend said ring member to thereby reduce the cross-sectional area of the ring orifice.

2. A fluid control device comprising a casing having a passageway through it including a valve chamber having an apertured bottom, an elastic member seated on saidbottom and extending substantially into engagement of the wall of said chamber, said member having an orifice through it in register with the aperture in the bottom of said chamber to provide for flexing of said member in direction of fluid flow through its orifice, whereby the orifice in said member is decreased in area on the inlet side and increased in area on the outlet side, a valve seat member in said chamber having a bore in register with the member orifice and having concentric rings constituting a ring seat surface about its bore against which said member is bent or flexed by the pressure of the fluid-entering said chamber, excessive pressure of the fluid supply forcing part of the elastic member into the space between said concentric rings.

3. In a pressure control apparatus, a housin having a hollow interior, means suspended from the top of the housing within said interior and providing a downwardly directed fluid inlet and valve chamber means, said housing having a fluid outlet above the bottom of said suspended means,

oriflce and spaced concentric surfaces against which said element bears with an annular groove between said surfaces in which a portion of said element is resiliently deflectable in response to fluid pressure to assist in changing the size of said oriflce for controlling the pressure of fluid entering said outlet passage from said element.

5. In a fluid flow controlled device including a housing having inlet and outlet passages, a resiliently flexible control element positioned in said housing between said passages and'having a fluid controlled orifice extending in the direction of the fluid flow between said passages, said element being seated on the inlet passage side in said housing and being deflectable by fluid pressure toward the outlet passage, and an abutment member in the outlet passage side of the housing having a central opening generally aligned with said orifice and spaced concentric surfaces against which said element bears with an annular groov'e between said surfaces in which a portion of said element is resiliently deflectable in response to fluid pressure to assist in changing the size of said orifice for controlling the pressure of fluid enterin said outlet passage from said element,

' said member also having a bleeder opening consaid valve chamber means including a valve seat member having concentric valve engaging rings in itstop side and having a downwardly extendnecting the bottom of said groove to the outlet passage to minimize trapping of fluid in said roove.

6. In a fluid flow controlled device including a housing having inlet and outlet passages, a resil iently flexible control element positioned in said housing between said passages and having a fluid controlled orifice extending in the direction of the fluid flow between said passages, said element being seated on the inlet passage side in said housing and being deflectable by fluid pressure toward the outlet e, and an abutment mem ber in the outlet passage side of the housing having a central opening generally aligned with said orifice and spaced concentric surfaces against element is resiliently defiectablein response to ing central port for fluid passage, an elastic ring valve member on said valve engaging rings.

said valve seat member being to provide a countersunk'entrance to said port .withtlm to'p,

margin of the entrance constituting the inner periphery of the inner of and valve engaging rings, said ring valve .member being depressable against the top margin of'said countersunk en.- trance to bend the ,ring valve member into said countersink to reduce them of the oriflce throughthe ring valve by pressure of fluid entering said apparatus, the admission of fluid under pressure flexing the'central portion of said ring valve member into said countersunk port entrance to bend the valve member to restrict .fiuid pressure to assist in changing the size of said central opening at its end facing said element flow through it, the fluid-after leaving the ring valve orifice passing downwardly and outwardly about said suspended means thence upwardly thereabcut to and out of saidoutleti 4. Ina fluid flow-controlled device including a housing having'inlet and outlet passages, a resiliently flexible control element positioned in saidhoueing between said passages and having a fluid controlled orifice extending in the direction of the fluid flow between said passages, said element being seated on the inlet passage side in said housing and being deflectable by fluid pressure toward the outlet passage, and an abutment member in the outlet passage side of the housing havbeing enlarged for receiving a portion of the center of said element deflected therein by fluid pressure in the controlling of the. size or said 7. In a fluid flow controlled device including a housing having inlet and outlet passages, a

resiliently flexible control element positioned in said housing between said passages-and having a fluid controlled orifice extending in the direction of the fluid flow between said passages, said element-being seated-on the inlet passage side in said housing and being. deflectable by fluid 'aligned with said oriflce and spaced concentric 9 iently flexible control element positioned in said housing between said passages and having a fluid controlled orifice extending in the direction of the fluid flow between said passages, said element being seated on the inlet passage side in said housing and being deflectable by fluid pressure toward the outlet passage, and an abutment member in the outlet passage side of the housing having a central opening generally aligned with said orifice and spaced concentric surfaces against which said element bears with an annular groove between said surfaces in which a portion of said element is resiliently deflectable in response to fluid pressure to assist in changing the size of said orifice for controlling the pressure of fluid entering said outlet passage from said element,

5 chamber.

ROBERT A. ROSENBLUM.

' REFERENCES crrEn The following references are of record in the 10 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,657,663 Devereux Jan. 31, 1928 15 2,389,134 'Brown Nov. 20, 1945 10 said housing having a plenum chamber between said central opening and the outlet passage, and a fountain bubbler head connected to the outlet passage and in communication with said 

